Australia prepares for unknown against Kluivert Indonesia

Tony Popovic @getty images

Tony Popovic admitted on Wednesday that there will be a degree of stranger when his Australian team faces a team of Indonesia led by the first time by Patrick Kluivert in a World Cup qualifier.

The teams gather in Sydney on Thursday in a crucial clash with both struggling to catch the second place in Group C of Asian classification behind Japan.

With four rounds of remaining games, Australia is currently second in the group, but just one point about Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and China.

The first two have guaranteed a position in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Indonesia kept Australia 0-0 in Yakarta in September, but both teams have changed the coaches since then, with Popovic replacing Graham Arnold and Kluivert coming to Shin Tae-Yong.

Thursday’s game will be the first in charge of the Nation of Southeast Asia of Barcelona and Dutch of the Nation of Southeast Asia, who try to reach the World Cup for the first time since Independence in 1945.

“We have analyzed Indonesia, we know that there is a new coach, we do not know how it will be established,” said the former defender of the Papovic Palace.

“Of course, we have seen what he has done previously in several works in which he has been involved in terms of the structure and the way he plays.

“But we have to focus on us and know that we can deal with any structure that comes to us.”

Best players’ coach career

The 48 -year -old Kluivert coach, has not reached the height of his game days.

His latest training role was in charge of Demirspor Adana in Türkiye for five months in 2023.

Before that, he was Cuacao caretaker manager in 2021.

Much of his training experience has been as an assistant, especially for the former Ajax player and Netherlands Clarence Seedorf with Cameroon in 2018-2019.

Indonesia has resorted to the former colonial ruler The Netherlands in an attempt to reach the World Cup, naturalizing more than a dozen players born in Dutch in recent years.

Popovic, that is missing the key players in the central defense, warned that patience may be required if Kluivert tells his men to feel deeply and defend themselves in numbers.

“We have to be prepared to do what the moment allows us and if it is not on, be patient and wait for the opening,” he said.

Australia faces China next Tuesday, while Indonesia is Bahrein’s home.